Parts of an Atom

Atoms
We know that most of the atom is actually empty space
filled with quickly moving electrons.
The positive nucleus is so small it actually only takes
up a tiny fraction of the size of the atom. Ironically,
almost all of the atom’s mass is concentrated in this
nucleus, which contains Protons and Neutrons.
The Atom
The parts of the atom -the particles of which an atom
is composed- are called subatomic particles.
Electrons and protons are subatomic particles.
In 1932, James Chadwick, an English scientist,
discovered a third subatomic particle with no charge:
the neutron.
Subatomic Particles
Protons are positively charged particles with a relative
mass of 1, located in the nucleus.

Neutrons are neutral particles with a mass of 1, also

located in the nucleus.

Electrons are negatively charged particles with a mass

of approximately 1/2000th of the mass of a proton or
neutron, these travel in regions of space around the
nucleus.
Protons are especially important as the number of
protons in an atom determines what the atom is.

For example: an atom with one proton is a hydrogen

atom (H), and any atom whose nucleus contains 12
protons is magnesium (Mg).
Atoms themselves have no electrical charge as the negative
electrons and positive protons balance each other out.
Remember that the number of electrons and protons in an
atom are the same.
The number of protons in an atom is also the atomic
number. If you know the atomic number you also know
the number of electrons and the number of protons.
The atomic mass is the sum number of protons and the
number of neutrons. The mass of the electrons is
insignificant because they have so little mass compared to
the other subatomic particles.
Proton, Electron, and Neutron chart
What is the name of atom A?
Hydrogen
What is the name of atom B?
Oxygen

8 1
8 none
1 8
16 1
Subatomic Particles - Recap

1. The number of protons in an atom is called the atomic number.

If you know the atomic number of an atom, you know how many protons –
and how many electrons – the atom contains.
# of protons = # of electrons (e-)

2. The mass number is the sum of protons and neutrons in the atom.

3. So, if you know the atomic number (the number of protons) and the
mass number (the sum of protons and neutrons), you can easily calculate
the number of neutrons.

Number of Neutrons = mass number – atomic number

 Standard Atomic Notation
We represent the numbers of subatomic particles by using standard
atomic notation.

# of protons =
# of electrons (e-) =
# of neutrons =
Charged Atoms - Ions
It is possible for atoms to gain/lose and share
electrons. When negatively charged electrons move
from one atom to another the atom then become ions.
When an atom gains electrons (-) the ion that is formed
has a negative charge.
When an atom loses electrons (-) that newly formed
ion now has a positive charge.
Salt water contains charged ions which give it the
ability to conduct electricity.
 Counting Atoms Review
CaCO3

NaNO3

NaCl

C9H8O4

C2H4O2
Handout BLM 3.3
Subatomic Particles worksheet
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